(01-22-2018 09:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  It's not the same, because a science lab is clearly a component of the academic mission, whereas the football team isn't. It's therefore reasonable to expect all students, even those whose major will never bring them to the Science building, to kick in for the former. But not the latter.

Football or any other intercollegiate sport is precisely the kind of peripheral/tangential activity that should be paid for with user fees.

(01-22-2018 09:16 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  This.

Its certainly easier for an English major to access a Biology class than it is for a non-athletic student (or non-traditional student) to access most of the benefits of football (or athletics period).

While I don't disagree with that sentiment, you have to realize that UMass is a region of the country one of the largest numbers of D3 schools to choose from. If students don't want to financially support the expenses required for D1 sports there are plenty of options.